The Next Generation of Grace - The Bird Boy
by RapunzelInTheSnow
Summary: Jacob Grace is constantly in trouble now, alongside his friend Con. Con's younger sister, Liberty, is always bullied by her brother and has found a friend in the alley behind their house. Bad summary but please give this story a chance!
1. Chapter 1

If you saw the boy, you'd scream. He's stuck, you see, between bird and human, with one wing and feathers covering his face and torso. One arm makes him look unbalanced and where he's attempted to rip the feathers out there are scars and dried blood.

Now, he doesn't know what he is. He's always known that he's different. He has no idea what he might be.

He definitely doesn't know who he is. He knows he's alive. He has no name.

And what does one do when you're like that?

You hide, of course.

…

Jacob sighed, as his mom told him off for the billionth time about running about on the streets. God, she was such a drag, as his friend Con might say. Con was American, and a breath of fresh air to the previously quiet Jacob.

"Jacob Grace! Are you even listening to me?" Miriam Grace glared down at her son and he rolled his eyes, like Con might.

"Sure. I have to go; I'm meeting up with Con." He dashed out of the door as Jared was walking into the living room of their apartment. He frowned.

"That was our son, wasn't it?" he asked Miriam, a little confused. She nodded, collapsing into the nearest chair.

"He's been impossible since he met that American child. Yes, I know that you're an American, but I honestly think you are better mannered than the pair of them. He's been dreadful ever since he learnt to act as he thinks Americans act. The child only made friends with him because he's half American. He's not a good friend for our son!" She looked up, and Jared hugged her.

"Miriam, just give this friendship a chance. He'll learn from it, if nothing else."

Meanwhile, Con had opened the door to his half-English friend. "Hey."

"Hey," said Jacob with an air of nonchalance, "you said you had something interesting, so I figured I'd come on over."

Con laughed out loud. "Man, you have to be more patient. Relax, will you?"

A higher voice called something from inside and Con swore, which was something Jacob always deeply admired. Jacob's family never really swore around him but when Con swore it made Con sound tough.

"What is it? What do you want now? Brat…" He waved for Jacob to follow him. Con's sister was standing in their living room.

"I just was wondering who it was… I'm not a brat!" Tears welled in the girl's eyes. Con shook his head, smiling.

"Even Jacob thinks you're a brat, right, Jacob?" A glare followed this. Obviously Con wanted him to agree with him. He didn't think Liberty was a brat, even if she did wear weird dresses all the time. Her big harlequin green eyes looked up at him but he turned his head to the side.

"Yeah…"

The green eyes filled with tears and Liberty rushed upstairs. He felt bad, but Con patted his shoulder. "Thanks, man. I wanted her to shove off so that I could show you this."

He produced a feather from his jacket and passed it to Jacob, grinning. "I know this bird, and let me tell you feathers are usually pea size."

Jacob frowned. This feather was as long as his arm and he measured it to make sure. "Are you saying that there's a giant bird out there?" he asked Con, brown eyes widening as he thought about such a thing.

"I'm saying that if we catch it, we could make big bucks." He laughed at his own joke and uncertainly Jacob joined in. It was only a bird, right? It wouldn't matter. And it would be an adventure in itself to track and find this creature.

…

Mallory was cradling her baby daughter when the phone rang. She laid Helena down in her cot and made sure the salt surrounded it before getting the phone.

"Hey, Miriam!" she greeted her sister-in-law, a smile crossing her face. "How is everybody?" She frowned as she listened.

"American kid? What's wrong with that?" She listened for a little longer and then pulled a face.

"Ugh. He sounds awful. Don't worry, Mimi, Jacob will grow out of this. They all do this unsuitable friends thing."

She smiled a little. "Yeah, Helena is fine. She's been for her check-up this week and she should be going for another in two weeks' time. Don't worry about Jacob; he can take care of himself."

She sighed as soon as the other line went dead. She was actually worried, because from what Miriam had said, this other boy was interested in the supernatural. Jacob had somehow got the sight (probably from that damn hobgoblin being at his christening) and if they ran into anything there would be trouble. She went and started to cradle her daughter, who woke up, mewling and snuffling.

"Your cousin might be in a bit of trouble. Thank God they let me teach him to fence…" Her eyes fell upon a picture in which she had one arm wrapped around her nephew as he held up a silver fencing trophy, a gap-toothed grin splashed across his face. He may have only gotten second place, but he had a lot of talent, much to Jared's secret horror.

She shook herself, concentrating on her daughter. Oh well, Jacob would just have to sort it out himself.

…

Liberty was opening the window quietly. Her fluffy blonde hair brushed her shoulders as she leaned forwards and she called a little note like an owl might. A fluttering, crashing sound came from the bins and she leant over.

"Hello?" she called. She'd heard this sound every evening without fail for eight days now. The alleyway behind their house fell silent and Liberty made the noise again and then saw a large wing poking out of the dustbins. A tousled head followed it of curling angelic brown hair, startled yellow eyes looking into shocked green ones. She waved and whatever it was hauled itself out of the dustbin to stumble off into the deeper backstreets. She wanted it to wait but it was gone already.

Her brother opened the door to her room. "Will you quit your stupid bird noises already?"

She immediately fell silent, and her brother nodded. Jacob felt a little uncomfortable seeing as Con was showing off in front of him by being mean to her, but Liberty just watched them as they walked back out of her room, her mind racing with what she had just seen.


	2. Chapter 2

Liberty crept slowly downstairs, as she heard her brother leave, and tried to sneak into the living room. She had no idea whether anyone was there or not, so it was best to stay cautious just in case. She'd seen the feather that her brother had found – being Con, he had to show off the precious find to somebody – and had decided to take a closer look once her brother was out.

She spotted it on the counter, edging towards it ever so slowly, afraid someone might see her. It truly was very pretty, she thought. The boy she'd seen had feathers like that. All shiny and dark and there were a couple which were pure white.

As her hand hovered over the feather, Jacob walked in and gave a yelp of surprise, before she screamed in equal shock. He edged towards her, snatching the feather before she could.

"Liberty? Why were you trying to steal this?" He couldn't pretend that it wasn't awkward talking to her, but he was curious. She didn't give him a reply, but hared upstairs, heart beating very fast.

He heard her door slam and the quiet click as she locked her door. This surprised him, as Liberty hardly ever did, seeing as no one really went in her room aside from her. He trudged upstairs, stopping and sitting on the landing.

He didn't really think it was fair of Con to leave him here with Liberty. He hadn't even told Liberty from the looks of things that Jacob was still here. It suddenly occurred to him that if he wasn't here that Con still would have gone out, effectively leaving Liberty alone until their parents got here.

He turned the feather over in his hands, marvelling at it. It was a deep black that suddenly became white down towards the tip. It looked amazing. He jumped suddenly, feeling eyes staring at him. He turned around, and saw Liberty peeking at him from behind her door. He smiled, trying not to make her jump.

"You can come and have a look. It's amazing, right?" She tentatively stepped out on to the landing, and came to sit beside Jacob with a rustle of lacy skirts.

He passed it to her, and she bent her head over it. "Oh…" She examined it, and a spark of interest flared in the green eyes as she traced a finger over the feather, and a small smile wisped across her face,

"Give it back now, though. Your brother might be cross otherwise." He opened a hand and the feather was placed delicately, and Liberty properly smiled.

"Thank you, Jacob." She darted back inside her room and left the door unlocked this time. He slowly walked down the stairs, unnerved by the surreal situation he was in. Placing the feather back on the counter he sat back on the sofa and ten minutes later Con walked in.

"Hey, I expect you've got to jet, right?" He grinned and Jacob nodded, noticing Con didn't apologise for leaving him with Liberty, or ask how Liberty was.

"You shouldn't leave her on her own…" His voice trailed off when he noticed Con glaring at him.

"It's fine, she's okay with it. Anyway, it's none of your business." Jacob nodded, heading for the door, and once through headed to the alley behind the house. He saw that Liberty was at the window like he had expected, and waved to her. She smiled, and waved back, before he turned around and headed for home.

He got in and his mother was waiting for him. "Hello, Jacob." Her tone was a little frosty, but he just smiled in greeting and headed for his room. His sanctuary where he definitely wouldn't be dragged into his friend's personal matters. Where his mother and father might actually leave him alone, and where he might be able to ring his aunt in peace.

…

Mallory had just got her daughter to fall asleep when the phone rang _again. _It was Jacob's number, and she picked it up immediately, hoping he hadn't been attacked by anything thanks to this stupid friend of his.

"What's up, Jacob?" He started talking and she slapped a hand over her eyes.

"Jacob… Wait, Jacob… Now listen to me. You've got the sight, and you know it's not good to get into anything supernatural."

Another explanation followed. Mallory frowned.

"He left his little sister home all by herself? Oh, you were there. But… I see." Her maternal instincts flared and she felt anger rise. How dare this boy leave his sister all alone?

She almost choked when Jacob explained to her how he was mean to her just because Jacob was there, and how he had told Jacob not to get involved.

"You said their parents work?" Yes, Jacob said they did. Apparently the father was a lawyer, and the mother worked in an art gallery. So the poor little girl must be left alone with her brother on a weekend, and now it was the summer holidays. Which meant that the parents would be working and this girl would be given six weeks of hell at the hands of this Con.

She reassured her nephew, telling him that he just probably could be nice to this girl if he wanted to help her, stay friends with Con if he wanted to, to watch out for goblins and made him promise to practice his fencing. She was only at the end of the telephone line if she was needed, she told him.

She went into the nursery and looked down at her sleeping daughter.

"They are the giddy limit. It's a whole family of Jareds who always get into trouble… and now I can't help, thanks to you, Lena. I need to look after you."

She sighed, leaning down to tuck the blanket more securely around the oblivious baby, and made sure she was okay before going and sitting in the other room.

….

Liberty locked the door when she heard her brother coming upstairs. He was stamping, which meant he was angry with her or someone else.

"You stupid brat! Did you tell him I'd left you alone?" he yelled through the door, pounding a fist against it. She trembled.

"No! I didn't do anything!" she called back, her voice shaking slightly. She raced to the window to look into the alley and smiled slightly when her eyes landed on the spot where Jacob had waved. He was nice, Jacob. Her eyes then travelled to the place where her bird boy had been. She made the sound that had called him quietly and heard her brother's footsteps walking away. She let out a breath she hadn't known she was holding, and looked down to see the boy, watching her. She waved at him and he waved back uncertainly. She leaned over and smiled. He tried to copy her, head on one side, pulling his lips up into a grin.

She called out to him. "Hello?" It startled him, and he ran off again. She tipped her own head on one side, slightly upset that he'd left, but amazed. This boy was…

A bird. He must be. He didn't seem to know any English, but he looked fairly human unless you looked at the wing.

But, she mused, he only had one wing and one arm. Her brow furrowed as she considered the thought that it might be painful for him, and searched worriedly with her eyes for any sign of him. No, not a single sign that he had been there.

Her brother banged on the door. "Hey, Mom and Dad are home!" She opened the door and followed him downstairs, to where their parents were waiting.

"Hey honey! Your father picked me up on his way home!" Her mother hugged her and she gave a slight smile. "How was your day?"

She smiled, thinking of Jacob Grace and her secret bird boy. "It was fantastic."


	3. Chapter 3

Liberty sighed as her brother dragged her down the street, trying not to feel happy that he'd invited her along with him. Jacob was with his parents today and he apparently needed someone to go on these expeditions with. Con was alright when he was like this, because he was happy, but Liberty was well aware that the bird boy would be miserable if they found him, and Con would be miserable if he didn't find the bird boy.

She gave another sigh and Con turned around. "What's with that?"

She tried to smile. "What's with what?" Her heart thumped a little and she looked away.

"Sighing! It's doing my head in." He glared at her and she hurried to keep up before catching sight of something, and slipping into the alleyway to get a closer look.

The bird boy stood there, simply watching her. He was surrounded by tiny little flower like creatures, who took off when they saw Liberty.

"Oh, they were pretty…" She stepped closer. "I'm Liberty. What's your name?"

He tipped his head to one side, and she frowned. "You don't understand what I'm saying, do you?" She looked at him and suddenly realised something that shocked her. He had one wing and one arm, and she came even closer.

She reached, trembling fingers outstretched, to rest upon the feathered shoulder, and her breath stumbled. He looked at her, eyes full of fear, and she placed her other hand on the bare shoulder that wasn't covered in feathers.

"They grounded you," she whispered softly, almost sobbing with the cruelty of it all. Once again, she looked up at him and opened her mouth as if to speak, but fell silent when he closed his eyes and turned his head away from her, removing both of her hands gently. He backed away and she knew somehow that this situation was somewhat unfamiliar to him, and it had scared him a little.

Hearing her brother calling her sharply, she turned and ran so that Con wouldn't come and look for her. When she reappeared, he seized her wrists. "Don't run off, you stupid brat!" She heard shuffling behind her and pulled on Con's wrist in return to drag him a little way away from the alleyway.

"We have to go back. Mom and Dad will be home soon." She looked up earnestly but Con's eyes took on an ugly look and he tugged on her wrists. "I'm busy! You know I'm looking for that bird!"

A change came over Liberty as she realised whose side she was on. She knew that if he found him, her brother would try and make money from the bird boy's misery. If he was able to see him, that is. A sudden surge of protective anger flowed through her veins, like fire.

"Leave it alone!" she said fiercely, surprising Con before a spark of recognition flashed in his eyes, causing him to raise his eyebrows and smile.

"You know something, don't you, Liberty?" he asked, a note of delight entering his voice. She shook her head in rapid denial, and he leaned forward menacingly.

"You're lying to me."

"And you are pursuing something better left alone!" she hissed at him, and he gasped in slight surprise. Liberty had never stood up to him before. The momentary shock gave her time to free herself and she stood there glaring at him.

"So you _do _know something…" he muttered, glaring at his sister who quivered slightly but refused to back down. He stepped towards her. "Tell me, if you know what's good for you." Threatening his sister had always worked before, but a new determination was alight in the green eyes.

"Then I don't know what's good for me. I won't tell you!" Just as her brother stepped towards her Jacob spotted them from across the road, running over at once.

"Guys! What's going on?" He glanced worriedly first at Con and then at Liberty, catching the look that she was giving her brother.

Con cleared his throat. "She knows something about our…project," he said in a low tone, and Jacob gaped, turning to the girl, but Liberty turned her face away from Jacob, seemingly checking the entrance of an alleyway.

"Is that why you were looking at the feather, Liberty?" he asked her before he could stop himself. She swallowed, shooting him an anguished look, but Con grinned like a fox might had it been invited into a henhouse by the fattest hen.

"Tell me…" her brother whispered, grinning at his sister. She tossed her head angrily.

"You wouldn't be able to see anyway!" Liberty burst out, shocking Jacob. Did that mean that Liberty knew about having the Sight? About the magical world? He looked at her, trying to find an answer from her, but all she did was glare directly back at him.

"Leave him alone!" she cried out suddenly, a hand landing on each boy and keeping them from somewhere. They both stared at her and Jacob's eyes flickered to the alley behind her. It was entirely possible that whatever Liberty had found was there, as she had been anxiously checking the entrance during the fight. He was sure he had seen something move quickly in the shadows.

"Him?" her brother asked. She growled at him, and her hands rose to shove him. He got there first, however, and pushed her roughly backwards so that she stumbled into the mouth of the alley. They both saw her expression of shock, but only Jacob saw the arm that, encircling her, pulled her into the shadows, before she seemingly vanished from sight.

The two boys looked at each other in horror and dashed into the alley, but couldn't see a sign of her. "Damn it…" muttered Con, and then repeated it louder and louder until he was screaming hysterically. Thinking of ways to calm him down, he hoped Con would forgive him. Jacob slapped him to bring him back to his senses. Con clutched his cheek and glared at his friend.

"Don't worry, we'll find her…" Jacob hoped his words didn't sound as empty to Con as they did to him.


	4. Chapter 4

Liberty looked around her in a fearful sort of wonder. The boy had simply picked her up and taken her to an old abandoned house that had barbed fences all around it, and pushed her through a gap, climbing through afterwards. She had then been pulled through the broken door to the abandoned living room and he had stood there.

"Libby." He said it in a nice enough voice, but he obviously didn't understand what the word meant.

"My name's Liberty." He stared at her in confusion, until she felt obliged to add something.

"It means freedom…"

…

Jacob and Con were searching the alley for the blonde, Con getting more and more worried while Jacob tried to remain calm for the sake of his friend. They had found a couple of feathers, which, far from cheering Con up, had only convinced him that the whole sorry situation was his fault.

They had tried to figure out what had happened and their best theory was this: The bird had heard the noise and been lurking nearby. Liberty had been snatched as she ran away and therefore the bird must be carnivorous.

They were extremely worried by the last part of their theory.

And yet, there was a sense of dark adventure in the hunt for the girl that neither boy would admit to but that both felt; the dragon had taken the princess and would be confronted by knights. There was a damsel in distress and they could rescue her in the nick of time.

Jacob broke the silence suddenly. "Liberty knew something, didn't she? She was fascinated by the feather…"

Con started. "She saw it, then? What was she acting like?"

Recalling it, Jacob also felt surprised, as he now knew what Liberty's expression had been. It had been reminiscent.

"Like she'd seen it before…" he said quietly, and turned to Con. "She had. She knew what it was from, I'm sure of it. Remember her calling sounds?"

Con caught on quickly and stared. "She'd _seen _it. She knew it, didn't she? She must have been calling it every night."

Jacob remembered something else, which he didn't voice. Con hadn't seen the arm dragging Liberty off. Maybe the bird wasn't just a bird. Maybe it was a Fantastical.

But if so, how did Liberty see it? Natural sight was rare, very rare. In fact, maybe Liberty had been given the sight.

He pondered this and turned to Con.

"Did Liberty change in character at any point?"

Con sighed. "You mean, was she always weird? No. Someone spat at her face in the street when we were little and she just changed then. I didn't think she was the same, so I treated her as such. I know, I know man. I knew you'd noticed, but it was just something I did. But…"

"You shouldn't have. She hated it and loved you – for God's sake, Con, you are her big brother! You're meant to look after her!" Jacob shouted. Con's attempt to excuse himself had rattled him. But he knew that he had noticed and done nothing about it, pouring fuel on the fire.

"I didn't though, did I? And for all we know she could be dead." Con glared at Jacob who felt shame replace his anger. He wasn't entirely free of blame himself.

But the spitting had to be a hobgoblin. He'd heard of a movement to give more humans the Sight, but obviously it had moved to America. And Liberty? Had she been frightened?

/

Liberty repeated the word over and over until the boy did.

"Freedom." And then, "Libby."

She sighed again, reaching a hand out slowly to grasp his hand. She didn't know what that would lead to… an attack? Fear? His mind going back into reclusion?

But he simply stood there, and she exhaled. Here was someone frightened a whole lot more than she was but with determination, and surviving as best he could.

Liberty knew all about surviving, about being scared. You showed people what you were proud of if you felt safe enough. And he was proud of his house, running around like a little kid. She smiled and let him lead her to yet another room. Every room they had been to so far seemed the same; sweet wrappers on the wall, or broken things collected in a heap. She'd seen a film like that once.

He showed her a torn plushie toy and she saw how it had a length of leather like a broken bag handle in a bow around its neck. It was beautiful in a way and he held it out to her. She took it hesitantly and instinctively clutched it, like a comfort, and he smiled a little.

He reached out and held her hand again, with a wider smile, like a new kid in a school who had found a friend. He trusted her so easily that it warmed her heart and she sat down on the floor, looking through the objects that he obviously treasured and trying not to hurt her fingers on the sharper ones (like a pile of pretty broken glass in oranges and greens) while he sat down hesitantly next to her. Eventually, he started to pick his favourites out and show them to her while all the time the torn rabbit sat on her lap.

It was a happy time for both of them, as the sun streamed in through the broken windows. As it touched the boy's face he looked up and seized as many pieces of glass as he could safely do so, arranging them into a pattern so that they flared with borrowed light as the sun glinted off of them. She looked on in wonder and reached out as if to touch them, but had her hand stopped just in time by her new friend. He made a face as if to say _ouch! _And she understood immediately, checking his hand for cuts and feeling relieved when she found none.

The sun burned against the orange glass and drowned in the green, as she and the boy watched the sun set through pieces of broken bottle glass.

**So how was that? Let me know!**


End file.
